Hel’s Reaper A3 Lino Print
 
Our Hel’s Reaper print shows a dark hooded figure complete with a scythe with one side of her body being dead and decayed down to bone, and the other half being living flesh.
 
The design takes inspiration from Hel: Daughter of Loki and the Giantess Angrboda,  Hel presides over the underground realm (which also shares her name) Goddess of the underworld in Norse Mythology Ruling over those whose deaths were not worthy for Valhalla, and is described as half living, half dead, with half her body blackened and half of flesh.
 
The design is then met with the dark cloak and scythe associated with the grim reaper and death, which first appeared in Christian Europe around the time of the Black Death in the 14th Century where around 1/3 of the European population perished. The cloaked figure is believed to have taken inspiration from the robes often worn by monks (who were also often the only source of medical aid available to the pore, and the ones who would perform last rights and funeral services) with the scythe being the tool used to harvest or reap the crops ready to be taken from the land, and thus the idea of the Grim Reaper is born.
 
Printed using Archival Quality black ink onto hand-made Khadi Papers
The printed area measures approx: 33.3cm X 25.5cm
 
Paper size approx.: A3 (29.7cm 42cm or 11.7” X 16.5”) The paper is handmade and torn down by hand so there may be some variation in size.
 
Available in two paper options:
White: A smooth cotton rag paper that picks up the ink brilliantly and delivers high-contrast
 
Neutral:  a textured Nepales Loka Washi paper made from the inner bark of Loka, the texture of the paper is really beautiful giving a softer print.
 
Please note: due to the handmade nature of these prints, each print will have slight differences in its appearance which is down to the differences in the amount of ink applied and the pressure used in printing on each individual print. This makes each print unique.